Overview

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine made an unannounced stop in Puerto Rico, telling troops their mission was “not training” as 10 F-35s arrived for operations against designated narco‑terror groups.
• The Pentagon has surged forces into the region, including at least eight Navy warships, an attack submarine, thousands of sailors and Marines, and the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group positioned near Puerto Rico.
• The administration says the Sept. 2 strike in international waters killed 11 alleged Tren de Aragua members on a drug‑running vessel bound for the United States, while offering no public evidence about the target, cargo, or the unit that carried out the attack.
• Venezuela expanded coastal deployments after denouncing the strike as an act of war, its fighter jets conducted a fly‑by of a U.S. ship described as “highly provocative,” and Washington warned future close passes could draw fire.
• Lawmakers report canceled or limited briefings as members of both parties question the president’s authority for lethal action, and legal experts characterize the strike as an extrajudicial killing that lacks a self‑defense justification under international law.